As if news for Sunderland fans that Sam Allardyce will leave after getting the England job wasn’t bad enough, Hartlepool United made things worse at Victoria Park.

The incident happened as news was breaking, prior to kick-off in the pre-season friendly between the Black Cats and Hartlepool, that Allardyce is the man chosen to succeed Roy Hodgson as the national team boss.

So as Sunderland fans sat looking gloomy ahead of what was to be Allardyce’s last game in charge, Hartlepool compounded their misery further with what we can only suspect was a little deliberate mischief.

Ringing out through the PA system in Victoria Park came Baddiel & Skinner & Lightning Seeds’ England classic: Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home).

Our reporter Steve Brown was in the ground and captured a video of Sunderland fans while the song played.